Fudgy Brownie Recipe

Prep

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8x8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang to lift the baked brownie out; lightly butter the parchment.

Dissolve espresso

In a small bowl, stir the instant espresso powder into the 2 tbs hot water until fully dissolved; set aside to cool slightly.

Melt chocolate and butter

In a heatproof bowl set over (but not touching) simmering water or in short bursts in the microwave (stirring every 20–30 seconds), melt the chopped bittersweet chocolate with the butter until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool 2–3 minutes.

Combine sugar and eggs

Whisk the granulated sugar into the slightly cooled chocolate mixture. Add the eggs and extra yolk one at a time, whisking until glossy and combined. Stir in the vanilla extract and the dissolved espresso.

Add dry ingredients

Sift or whisk together the cocoa powder, flour and 1/2 tsp salt; fold the dry mixture into the wet batter gently until just combined — do not overmix. Fold in the optional chocolate chips, if using.

Bake

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake 22–28 minutes: edges should be set and slightly pulled away from the pan, center still a little soft and jiggles when gently shaken. For a fudgier center, err on the shorter time.

Cool

Remove from oven and let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack (at least 1 hour). Cooling fully helps the brownie firm up to a fudgy texture. When cool, lift from the pan using the parchment overhang and cut into 4 equal squares (one per serving).

Gently warm the cookie butter with the heavy cream in a small saucepan over very low heat or in the microwave in 10–15 second bursts, stirring, until it reaches a pourable but not runny consistency (about 20–30 seconds on low heat). Stir in 1/8 tsp sea salt to taste. Keep warm — if it cools and thickens, rewarm briefly.

Scoop the vanilla bean ice cream into 4 generous scoops (about 1/2 cup per scoop). If the ice cream is very hard, let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes to ease scooping.

Place one brownie square on each serving plate. Drizzle about 1 to 2 tbs cookie butter glaze over each brownie, then top with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. Finish each serving with a light sprinkle of flaky sea salt (a pinch) and, if desired, a dusting of cocoa powder.

Serve immediately. If preparing ahead, keep the baked and cooled brownies at room temperature in an airtight container and rewarm cookie butter glaze just before serving.